The Songbun system, which began under Kim Il Sung in the 1950s, divided the North Korean society into three classes; a loyal 'core' class, a wavering 'middle' class, and a mistrusted 'hostile' class.
Marked for Life: Songbun, North Korea's Social Classification System is a new report by Human Rights Watch in North Korea and the American Enterprise Institute which details the Songbun system and how it affects life in North Korea.
The report was launched on June 6th at an event in Washington D.C. where the author, Robert Collins, released his findings. In the introduction to the report Collins states, “Marked For Life” is not an exaggerated term for the socio-political classification conditions under which every North Korean citizen lives out his life; it is a cruel and persistent reality for the millions who must experience it on a daily basis."
